Spanish court sentences Messi to 21 months in jail for tax fraud

MADRID: Barcelona‘s Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi was sentenced on Wednesday to 21 months in prison and fined 2 million euros ($2.2 million) after being found guilty of three counts of tax fraud, although it is unlikely he will serve time.

The Barcelona court handed the same sentence to the player’s father, Jorge, with a 1.5 million euro fine. Both defendants have around five days to appeal to the Supreme Court, the Barcelona court said in its statement.